Shocked Awake
by Thrythlind
Summary: Ranma is out looking for a place to train when he spies a white robed figure in the abandoned lot. Yuri.


Ranma's original plan to find some place to do a  
little light training changed as he hopped past the  
abandoned lot that had seen so many things over the  
past year. Right now it held a young woman about his  
own age, dressed in a formal white kimono and gripping  
a piece of glinting metal in her hand.  
He veered off from his course and landed lightly  
behind the woman. This close he found it easy to  
identify her, even in the lightless dark of the night.  
Suddenly he was half-wishing that he had gone on past  
her. He couldn't do that, though. Not considering  
the knife in her hand and the clean white kimono she  
was wearing.  
"Hey, Kodachi," Ranma said, surprising her.   
"Whatcha doing?"  
"Ranma-sama," Kodachi said. "How is your wife?"  
"She's visiting Kasumi and Tofu for the weekend,"  
Ranma said. "What are you doing?"  
"I see," Kodachi said. "Her other sisters are at  
the Kuno Estate, Nabiki and my brother are housing  
them."  
"You mean Natsume and Kurumi?" Ranma asked.  
"Yes," Kodachi said, wistfully. "Natsume is there.  
I left a note to explain my apology to her."  
"What do you need to apologize to her about?" Ranma  
asked. "Is that why you're out here?"  
"This is a private matter, Ranma-sama," Kodachi  
said. "I am certain the whole of the truth will be  
told to you later."  
"What are you doing?" Ranma repeated, edging  
closer.  
"I suppose I should settle my affairs with you,"  
she sighed. "My apologies to you Ranma-sama."  
"What exactly for?" Ranma asked. He wondered  
briefly if he could get the knife before Kodachi could  
effectively use it.  
"I never loved you," Kodachi said quietly.  
"What?!" Ranma said in shock. He winced and  
reminded himself not to get angry, at least not until  
he had gotten the knife away from her.  
"Well I did, but I didn't," Kodachi said. "When  
the curse was revealed that made it clear."  
"This isn't about me is it?" Ranma asked. "I  
didn't do anything to you did I?"  
"No, Ranma-sama," Kodachi said. "You are not to  
blame."  
"Then what is the problem?" Ranma asked.  
"I needed you," Kodachi said simply. "To make  
everything right. And when I learned of your curse I  
was convinced everything was.   
"What's this got to do with my curse?" Ranma asked.  
~Almost close enough.~  
"It was no longer important that I pursue you.   
Especially as you'd already been claimed," Kodachi  
sighed. "And there was always somebody else willing  
to attend to me."  
"Did something happen between you and your last  
boyfriend?" Ranma asked. Kodachi had had a string of  
them after he had married Akane. He forgot the name  
of the man she was currently seeing. Actually he  
wondered if even Kodachi knew them all.  
"But I was wrong," she continued. "And there truly  
is no way to escape the fact this time. My corruption  
has been completed."  
"What are you talking about?" Ranma demanded,  
edging a little closer. It was, appropriately enough,  
a knife's edge. She'd be inclined to explain if she  
still held the knife. If he took it, she would be  
angry and trying to get it back. He just didn't know  
for sure how much he could learn before she went ahead  
and stabbed.  
"All that remains for me to do is to purify the  
Kuno name, here," she said. "Where Hell first  
arranged to have me damned. When I gave you that  
first, single rose." Ranma looked around and finally  
realized something.  
"This is where we first met," Ranma said.  
"Please leave Ranma-sama," Kodachi said. "I must  
do this before I bring further shame on the Kuno  
name."  
"What did you do?" Ranma asked carefully.  
"I couldn't help it," Kodachi said shakily, her  
grip on the knife tightening. "There was no one home  
except me and..." She sighed and turned to Ranma.   
"Natsume is very beautiful, and her choice of training  
attire is...quite inviting."  
"Your boyfriend was looking at her or something?"  
Ranma asked, knowing Kodachi's possessive jealous  
streak. "You didn't do anything to Natsume did you?"  
"I kissed her," Kodachi said with a twist of  
self-disgust. Ranma stared at Kodachi in surprise.   
"And...and...she's sleeping in my bed right now."  
"You and Natsume," Ranma said, shocked. "Had sex?"  
"You see why this must done," Kodachi said quietly.  
"Bullshit," Ranma said, snatching the knife away  
from Kodachi. He stepped away from her quickly.  
"Ranma-sama," Kodachi shouted standing up and  
facing Ranma. "Give that back, I need that."  
"No you don't," Ranma snapped back. "You need to  
wake up."  
"I have woken up!" Kodachi shouted. "That is why I  
am here! Before I bring further shame to the clan."  
"Like hell," Ranma insisted, he took the knife and  
snapped the blade off.  
"NOO!!" Kodachi screamed as he tossed the sharp  
edge into the night. "Do you so truly hate me? I'm  
an aberration...I..." She slumped to the ground and  
started crying. Ranma sighed and picked her up,  
jumping to the rooftops, finally landing with his  
sobbing charge in front of the Kuno estate.  
He set Kodachi down, and the noblewoman stood off  
to the side resignedly. Eventually an irritated  
Nabiki responded to Ranma's knocking.  
"Saotome," Nabiki said wearily. "It's three  
o'clock in the morning, what are you...is that  
Kodachi?"  
"She was in the lot with a knife," Ranma said.  
"What?" Nabiki said, waking up. Ranma saw someone  
behind her. "Why?"  
"Ask her," Ranma said. "Or her." He nodded his  
head past Nabiki. His sister-in-law turned to see a  
rather anxious looking Natsume. At least as anxious  
as the serious woman ever got.  
Kodachi looked up and saw Natsume before glancing  
down in shame. Nabiki noticed the exchange and arched  
an eyebrow.  
"Okay," Nabiki said. "I'll keep an eye on her,  
thanks Ranma. Shiro would be devastated if anything  
happened to Aunty Kodachi."  
"I should not..." Kodachi whispered.  
"Oh be quiet," Nabiki said. "You've saved me  
hundreds on babysitting the last three years. Come  
on, let's get you some tea." She started to lead  
Kodachi into the estate.  
"The Tendo cure-all," Ranma said, smiling. "A cup  
of tea." He faced Natsume for a moment. "Be careful  
where you go from here."  
"I did not know about this," Natsume said.  
"Just be careful," Ranma said firmly. "I'll check  
up on her tomorrow." He closed the door and started  
walking home. 


End file.
